Celebrating Israel at 75 (May 2023)

(May 2, 2023) We are in the Hebrew month of Iyar and that brings several special days for Israel and for us. Last week we observed Yom Hazikaron, the day of remembrance in Israel to commemorate all of the soldiers and people who lost their lives during the struggle to defend the State of Israel. It was a solemn day marked by moments of silence and ceremonies.

This was followed the next day by Yom Ha’atzma’ut, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1948. Israel celebrated with concerts, picnics, fireworks and more. And so, we go from remembering to joyously celebrating.

Since this is Israel’s 75th year, we mark this moment in a special way, as we do for all milestone anniversaries. All over there are programs, concerts, and presentations of all sorts. Here at Beth Samuel we are observing this anniversary, too. In March, Cantor Dr. Janet Roth beautifully presented our first program on the Seven Species of the Land of Israel in words and song.

Tomorrow night is our second program, May 3 at 7PM on Zoom, as we welcome back Rahel Musleah, who will describe one family’s journey from India to Israel. She is a delightful storyteller, singer, writer, and educator and this program has received accolades and high praise from literally around the world! We are so grateful to Rahel for fitting us into her hectic professional and travel schedule. I’m sure you will be enlightened with her presentation.

Later this month we will welcome the IDF veterans for a Shabbat evening sponsored by Barb and Sandy Zell. What a fitting continuation of honoring Israel. Check your E-News for details and celebrate Israel at 75 with us!

B’shalom,

Cantor Rena

Our Precious Inheritance

Our friend and teacher, Rabbi Judith Edelstein, will be joining us on zoom for our third Friday Kabbalat Shabbat service on April 21st at 7pm. We fondly remember her visit to Beth Samuel in person a few years ago, when she taught us about Mussar, a way of self-examination and of relating to others with inspiration, dignity, and compassion.
 
This time Rabbi Judith will be talking about the Torah, and if you think you already know a lot about what the Torah is and what it means, you will learn even more. 
 
As an introduction to her talk, allow me to quote from Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers, which is a compilation of ethical sayings by which we should live our lives. One of the Rabbis, who actually has a kind of funny name, Rabbi Yochanan ben Bag Bag, taught, “Study the Torah;  turn it and turn it over and over again, for everything is in it.” What he meant is that the Torah is a complete guide to life, and that you should study it, even into old age.
 
When we read the Torah each week and learn something new from it, or when we connect its relevance to us today, we are turning and turning the Torah over and over, further opening our eyes to its lessons. When we return the Torah to the ark we say, “Eitz chayim he, the Torah is a precious inheritance, a tree of life...and all its paths are peace.”
 
Be sure to join us on Friday, April 21 at 7pm for our short Kabbalat Shabbat service and to welcome back Rabbi Judith (virtually) to our community. She will teach us more about this precious inheritance in her “Dive Into Torah” and I know we will each learn something new. 
 
B’shalom,
Cantor Rena

75 Years of Statehood! (March 2023 Part 2)

This year Israel celebrates 75 years of statehood! Israeli Independence Day is designated to be on the 5th day of the month of Iyar. On May 14, 1948 (5 Iyar), David Ben Gurion publicly read the Israeli Declaration of Independence. In Israel and outside of Israel, people celebrate Israeli Independence Day with fireworks, parties, concerts, and so on, and this year, on May 14, 2023, it promises to be huge.
 
In fact, many places have been celebrating this milestone the whole year, 5783, with teachings, lectures, and programs of all sorts. We are participating in this notable event with 2 programs this spring, one next week and another in May.
 
On Monday, March 27 at 7PM (on Zoom) we will welcome my friend Cantor Dr. Janet Ilene Roth. She and I have sung together for many years at the Jewish Choral Festival in July, where we also teach. She will offer a delightful exploration of the “Seven Species of the Land of Israel” through text, song, and taste. 
 
Cantor Janet’s extensive and remarkable bio was in the E-News and her presentation style is equally impressive, as you will see. This is going to be a wonderful program as we swing into spring and celebrate Israel. There are food ingredients you may gather beforehand if you would like to make the recipe, and even without doing that part, I’m sure you will learn a lot and enjoy. So zoom on in and let’s celebrate together!
 
B’shalom,
Cantor Rena

“If you used to go to synagogue and haven’t lately, you are missing the chance to sing together, pray together, eat together and rediscover a soulfulness that is nourishing and sacred. We miss you.”

— Rabbi David Wolpe

Celebrating Shabbat Together (March 2023 Pt 1)

We recently read these words in the Torah:  v’shamru...et hashabbat... la’asot et hashabbat.”  The words are familiar because they are also in our siddur and we sing them on Friday night and Saturday morning at our services.  Here the people of Israel are instructed to observe the Sabbath and to “make” or “do” the Sabbath.  So how are we supposed to DO Shabbat? 
 
Too often Shabbat gets a bad rap because it has so many restrictions, that is, so many things we are told NOT to do, like plowing, baking, building, sewing, and so on.  To counteract this perception, we should stress how to  actively “do” Shabbat, and there are many ways: recite Kiddush over the wine on Friday night, light the Shabbat candles, eat a special Shabbat meal, attend prayer services, and recite Havdalah on Saturday night, to name a few.  We celebrate Shabbat together and turn Shabbat into a lovely, holy day, rather than a day of denial.
 
This is exactly what we will do at 6PM this Friday night, March 17, at Shabbat Across America at Beth Samuel.  We will gather, say prayers and blessings, enjoy a delicious potluck dinner and experience a small treasure trove of music and stories for Shabbat.  RSVP using the button above and join me and your fellow congregants for a delightful Shabbat!
 
B’shalom,
Cantor Rena 

The Blessing of Being Intentional (February 2023)

What is the purpose of blessings? Our blessings usually begin with “Blessed are You, Adonai, Sovereign of the universe, for...” and we continue with the particular message of gratitude for God’s gift of life, food, well being, a rainbow, or whatever the instance is. Take the example of an apple or a piece of fruit, which we eat any time and especially on Tu B’Shevat (which we just celebrated yesterday), the Festival of the Trees. Do you say a blessing before you eat one?

Tu B’Shevat has evolved into a sacred celebration of nature, acknowledging with appreciation and gratitude for the fruit of the trees that help nurture and sustain us. The blessing extends beyond the simple act of eating a piece of fruit. Its intention is to stop us from eating without thinking, and this reminds me of a true story.
 
A friend once told me that she had missed breakfast that morning. When I asked if I could get her a bagel and some juice, she said no, that she had eaten breakfast but was in such a rush that she forgot she did it and “missed” it. She never smelled the aroma of her coffee and didn’t taste the sweet apricot jam on her toast. It seemed  to have disappeared from her memory of the morning.  
 
What does this teach us? Sometimes we have to slow down and experience what we are doing, rather than just go on autopilot and plow through unconsciously. A blessing first will heighten our senses to the process and maybe we won’t “miss” it. So next time you take a bit into an apple, say the blessing first, and then enjoy its color and aroma, hear the crunch, savor the flavor and really taste the fruit. Even after Tu B’Shevat!
 
Reminder: Zoom into my friend Dr. Dick Daffner’s fascinating presentation on the “Rightly Forgotten” tomorrow, Wednesday, February 8 at 7pm. See the E-News for a description.
 
And: Have you ever wondered how the Israelites made those curtains, coverings, and tapestries for the mishkan, all while traveling through the desert? My colleague Emily Howard Meyer, our guest on the Third Friday Zoom Shabbat service on Friday, February 17 at 7pm, will enlighten us!
 
B’shalom,
Cantor Rena

Chazak, Chazak, Chazak! (January 2023)

Last week we read the final portion of the Book of Genesis in the Torah, and this week we begin the Book of Exodus. Each time we complete one of the Books of the Torah it is a special moment and we say, “Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek, be strong and we shall be strengthened.” Where did this come from? Two sources.
 
In the beginning of the Book of Joshua, God encourages Joshua by telling him to be strong and resolute (chazak ve’ematz), to observe faithfully all the teachings of Moses, and to recite them (i.e., study Torah) every day. The Midrash says that Joshua was actually holding the Torah scroll and as he completed it, God told him, “Chazak!”  
 
In addition, chazak v’nitchazek is an expression from the Book of Samuel. The two examples represent a slight change of wording but the message is the same. 
 
We say the phrase 3 times, as you know, and that is perhaps because, as the sources suggest, when you add up the numerical value of the 3 words it equals that of the name of Moses.
 
We use this phrase when we reach transformative moments such as these, and they can be used for any celebration of completion. Hanna Tiferet has written a joyous song of celebration, Chazak Chazak, for just such a moment and you can hear me sing it HERE. We often sing it during our Saturday service when we reach the end of one of the Books of the Torah, so it may be familiar to you.
 
Mark your calendars for another in our outstanding series of Third Friday Zoom Shabbat services at 7pm, on January 20, when my friend and colleague (and former seminary student) Cantor Lois Kittner will be joining us. Cantor Lois is a delightful, multi-talented Cantor and musician who will offer a short meditation on the parsha, and I am sure her warm and bright presence will be spiritually uplifting.
 
B’shalom,
Cantor Rena

March 2020

This past January, we marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation from Auschwitz.  Unlike Yom Hashoah, when Jews mark the day to remember the Holocaust, this date, mandated by the United Nations as International Holocaust Memorial Day, was observed by all.   World leaders converged in Jerusalem and commemorations took place all over the world.
 
   Soon, in April, we will be observing Yom Hashoah, and so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity in this season to offer a Spring Adult Ed session on music from this period. 
 
   The impulse to express oneself through music is not easily suppressed, and for Jews trapped in Europe during the Nazi Holocaust, music was a means of expressing both anguish and hope, and a means of maintaining one’s humanity.  The composers of the poems and songs were murdered, but their music lives on, and it speaks to us today.
 
   A violin maker in Israel has begun to restore instruments that came from that period.  Through a project called “Violins of Hope,” these instruments are being repaired and will be heard in concerts in a world-wide tour over the next several years, bringing new vitality to what was once silenced.
 
   On Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 10am, I will present a class entitled “From Vilna to Violins of Hope:  Music of the Holocaust.”  Our task is to never forget, and this will give us a chance to remember.    

February 2020

Over the last several months I have been doing some extra teaching throughout our Saturday morning services.  I have added explanations here and there about some of the traditions and reasons regarding how we move, bending and bowing, call and response, etc.  We have also re-instated the Ashrei prayer, which is probably familiar to many.  It begins, “Ashrei yoshvei veitecha, od yehallelucha sela,” “Happy are those who dwell in your house, they are ever praising You.” 
 
    The verses of Ashrei are arranged alphabetically, which used to be an aid to memorization.  It is now read from the prayer book, responsively, in the morning on weekdays and Shabbat.  This prayer actually occurs a second time toward the end of the morning service, and it begins the mincha  service in the afternoon (as well as the Selichot service).
 
    According to the Talmud, whoever recites this psalm three times daily is assured of his/her place in “olam haba,” the world to come.  The word “ashrei” appears three times in the beginning of the prayer, paralleling the three times a day we recite it.
 
    Great importance has also been attached to this prayer because it includes the statement in verse 16, “Poteach et yadecha...,” “You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor.”  This is said to be our proclamation of God’s care and sustenance of all creatures.  Some people, when they reach this verse, open the palm of their own hand as a symbolic gesture toward heaven and as a sign of receiving abundance from above.
 
    This is the kind of thing I have been mentioning in our Saturday services and the feedback is that it enhances your Shabbat service experience.  So, I invite you to stop in on a Saturday if you haven’t attended lately, and see what interesting things you may learn!  

January 2020

Happy new year.  What?  Didn’t we already say that last September at Rosh Hashanah?  Of course we did, and we have another opportunity to say it now, since January 1st on the secular calendar is also the beginning of a new year.  We have another chance to make resolutions for change, if we would like.  In a sense, we are “dancing at 2 weddings,” as the saying goes, living in both cultures.  Perhaps it is a good thing, to be able to commit to change, growth, and renewal again.
 
   On the first day of Jewish holidays we say a special prayer, the “shehechayanu,” in which we praise God for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this day.  How do we understand this prayer?  It is a prayer of affirmation.  For some of us, we have made it to this point in our lives, and it has been no simple task.  We may not remember the number of birthdays we have accumulated, or the many ways we have ushered in this day in the past.  We may just want to acknowledge that we are alive, to thank God for our lives and the many blessings we have.
 
   As we think about what it took to get us to this point in life, we know that there were many people who supported us and continue to do so.  We are grateful for their presence in our lives, and this is an opportunity to thank them.  Just a little note of gratitude might make their day, as you will see in my example below. 
 
   I often write these articles well in advance, by a month or so in some instances, and as I write this today, it is actually just after Thanksgiving.  So giving thanks may be on my mind.  However, something else just made my day, a few minutes ago.  I got a text from my oldest granddaughter thanking me for the delicious Thanksgiving dinner and for allowing her to stay over at my house for most of the weekend.  (As if I minded!)   She sent a bunch of heart and love Emojis, too.   She is a not the type to send texts other than necessary ones for logistics, etc., so this was truly a rare and special one.  So I will start this new secular year on a high note and I hope you will too.  Happy new year, again!   

December 2019

   “The Power of Light” is one of eight stories for Chanukah, in a collection with the same title, by Isaac Bashevis Singer.  The stories, which are appropriate for all ages, teach the miraculous power of light over evil through Singer’s genius.
 
   Whether Chanukah comes early or late, it really comes just on time every year according to the lunar calendar.  While the dates may change on the secular calendar, the message of Chanukah remains the same.  We celebrate eight days of joy and light, finding strength and hope during the darkest time of the year.  We are struck by the miracle of the tiny cruise of oil, by the strength of the Maccabees, and by the lesson of the prophet Zachariah (4:6) which we read in the Haftarah on Shabbat Chanukah: “Not by might, not by power, but by God’s spirit” (and Debbie Friedman adds “shall we all live in peace”).
 
   There are many references to “light” in our liturgy, and we explored some of those with our guest Cantor Sandy Horowitz last month.  We sang “Bring in the Light,” “Or Zarua La’tsadik, Light is Stored for the Righteous,” and “Roll into Dark, Roll into Light,” to mention a few.  She and I presented a spirited debate by two famous Rabbis, Hillel and Shammai, about the correct way to light the menorah.   
 
   May the powerful lights and miracles of Chanukah comfort and inspire you. According to the Talmud, “The Divine Presence does not rest upon humans through gloom.”  Try to find a spark of brightness amidst all the darkness this month.  The best way to struggle against darkness is to bask in the light of God.  Let the candles of your menorah shine in the window for others to see.  In bringing light to others, we can all shine in God’s reflected glory.  Happy Chanukah!  And don’t worry if you spell it Chanukah, Hanukkah, or any other way, each is correct!  After all, it’s Hebrew!  
 

L’hitra’ot, until next time!

November 2019

A Short History of the Cantorate - Part 2

    Last month I shared a little about the history of the Cantorate, and this month I would like to continue this theme. 
 
   Early in this century, Cantors immigrated to this country and began to establish a cantorial tradition which the Cantor’s Assembly has built upon.  In the middle of the 20th century, the Jewish Theological Seminary opened their Cantor’s Institute, and at about the same time, the Reform movement, Hebrew Union College, established a cantorial program. 
 
   Traditional cantorial singing consisted of a combination of operatic dramatic style and the very elaborate melismatic style using Middle Eastern modal scales.  It precluded congregational participation, and some people even felt that it took away the focus from the text to that of the Cantor.  Another trend has come into fashion, which challenges the older style.  According to The New York Times, “the current preference is for more direct, folksy prayer settings,” which congregants can easily pick up and join in singing.  So, in order to preserve our tradition and to involve the congregation, we Cantors try to offer a mix of styles, some davenning in traditional modes, and some congregational melodies.
 
   We have a glorious synagogue musical heritage which needs to be preserved, and we also want to make synagogue music accessible and singable.   Maintaining a balance between the older and newer styles is one way of making sure we do not neglect either one.                                           
 

L’hitra’ot, until next time!

October 2019

A Short History of the Cantorate

  You may be interested in how the Cantorate evolved, and so I would like to give you a very brief history here.  There is, of course, much more to this topic, so I will just provide a short overview.

  After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Jews needed a prayer leader to recite the prayers on their behalf, and so, prayer leaders were identified and utilized.  A sheliah tsibbur (literally, an emmissary of the congregation) was designated to lead, and we still use the term today, to refer to one who leads but may not have been trained professionally.  That was actually my title many years ago when I began leading services, and before I attended cantorial school. 

  The first Cantors, or Hazzanim, chanted the prayers and beautified the music with interpretive renditions.  Worshipers delighted in the melodic and aesthetic quality of prayer, and the Hazzan became the sweet singer of Israel (as we call King David!).  Nowadays the title is reserved for one who became ordained with full training.

  The first reference to a Hazzan occurred around the 6th century.  There are Talmudic references to prayer leaders and Hazzanim which state that the person must be “fit” for the position, being of good character and possessing excellent skills.

  The modern cantorate dates back to the 1700s, when the services became more formal and emulated the Christian tradition.  As choral music was re-introduced, several composers’ work for choir entered the service, and we still use those melodies and arrangements today. 

  Whereas training was largely an oral tradition a long time ago, today there are cantorial schools which offer a mix of musical studies and liturgy, pastoral skills, homiletics, and more.

  One of the first books I was required to read in cantorial school was Mark Slobin’s Chosen Voices: The Story of the American Cantorate.  If you would like to delve into this topic further, you may want to read this volume.   

Selichot 2019

   This is my CHAI year!  It was 18 years ago that I was ordained as a Cantor from my seminary.  So, mark Saturday evening, September 21 at 7:00PM, on your calendar and join me and our BSJC community as we celebrate together.  Let me explain. 
 
   Gematria is a form of Jewish numerology, and as you know, we like to reference certain letters and numbers in our tradition.  One of the best known instances of this is the word CHAI, meaning living, or life.  The Hebrew letters that spell CHAI add up to 18 (chet is 8 and yud is 10, hence 8+10+18), and so we associate “life” with the number 18.  The 18th year is a significant milestone for me this year and certainly worthy of celebration! 
 
   We are holding a special event at BSJC to mark the occasion of my 18th anniversary as a Cantor, and I will be announcing a unique gift that I will be presenting to our synagogue in honor of it.  You will have to attend that night to find out what it is!  I know you will all be excited about it when I tell you.
 
   We will also be recognizing some other very special people.  We will honor our 2 stalwart Torah readers, Karen Beaudway and Dr. George Goodman, and we will honor our “senior” members whose wisdom has helped shape our synagogue over the years.  I will be giving a tribute and making presentations to all of these exceptional members.
                                                                                               
   We are serving classy refreshments this evening, too, and we will conclude with a short Selichot service.  I hope everyone will come celebrate with me and pay tribute to our honorees.  It promises to be a very beautiful evening, made even more beautiful by your presence!            

   

L’hitra’ot, until next time!

July 2019

    Growing up, I spent most of my summers at Jewish sleep-away camps, and I loved it.  When Tisha B’Av arrived each year (in July or August), I was always at camp and I remember our observances of it.  We fasted if we were old enough, wore black, non-leather clothing, and said the appropriate prayers by candlelight.
 
   Now, in the heat of the summer when many people are on vacation, we have this holiday.  It is a day in which we mourn the destruction of the First and Second Temples.  Today Jerusalem is a thriving city, yet we must remember when that spiritual, cultural, and political center of our people was destroyed and we began our long journey of being exiles.
 
   We observe this day by chanting “Lamentations” and may add references to modern day tragedies in Israel and around the world in an effort to heighten our awareness of injustices today.
 
   It is also a time to pause and cherish Israel as our homeland and to pray that the state of exile never again touches the Jewish people.  We can visit our eternal spiritual capital, Jerusalem.  And we can speak and sing about remembering, about peace, and about hope.
 
   This year, Rabbi Alex Greenbaum has asked me to lead erev Tisha B’Av services on Saturday evening, August 10th at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, since he will be away.  We often “cover” for each other and I invite you to join me and others for this service, since we don’t traditionally observe this at BSJC.  The service begins at 9pm, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have. 
   

L’hitra’ot, until next time!

June 2019

Last month I wrote about some Jewish holidays on the calendar in May, and this month I will continue the theme for June.  Once again, we have old and new observances, specifically the festival of Shavuot and Yom Yerushalayim. Jerusalem Day.
 
    Jerusalem Day, observed this year on Sunday, June 2, is the day that commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem after the Six-Day War in 1967.  It is one of four holidays that were added to the Jewish calendar in the middle to latter part of the 20th century, the other three of which I described last month.  On June 2nd there will be celebrations and festivities in Israel, as well as offerings of prayers for peace.  As Psalm 122 says, “sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim...  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem...may there be peace within your walls, serenity within your homes.”
 
    Shavuot, one of the three pilgrimage festivals, comes this year about a week later, and commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai.  This agricultural celebration is called the Feast of Weeks, coming at the culmination of the counting of the Omer, 49 days from Passover to this holiday.  We eat dairy foods for several reasons, including the fact that the holiday occurs during milking season, when dairy is plentiful, and because before receiving the Torah the Israelites did not follow ritual animal slaughter, so they ate dairy foods instead of meat.  In the Song of Songs (4:11), the Torah is compared to milk: “Like honey and milk, it (Torah) lies under your tongue.”
 
    We renew our commitment and dedication to God on Shavuot, and the perfect story to illustrate this is the Book of Ruth, which we read on Shavuot.  This book describes Ruth’s embracing Judaism, becoming Naomi’s daughter-in-law, and ultimately creating a family tree for King David.
 
Chag sameach!
   

L’hitra’ot, until next time!

May 2019

This year the Hebrew month of Iyar coincides with the month of May.  There are several special days this month, some new, and one very old.  Chronologically, the first one is Yom Hashoah, Holocaust remembrance Day, this year on May 2, when we commemorate the loss of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust.  We also remember the heroism of the rescuers and the survivors, many of whom are gone now.  You are probably familiar with the many services of remembrance which are held each year.  In Israel, there is a two-minute silence in which all work stops.  The date was chosen to be one week before Yom Ha’atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day, and that falls this year on May 9.
 
    Independence Day commemorates the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 and is a celebration of joy and festivities in Israel.  The day is always preceded by another special day, Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers.  The two days are linked together since Israeli independence is a result of the sacrifice of soldiers’ lives.  So we go from remembering to celebrating, a natural progression.  In America, observing Yom Ha’atsma’ut is one way to show support for and pride in Israel.  Our marking of this day usually includes singing Hatikvah, The Hope. 
 
    The last special day to mention is Lag B’Omer, and unlike the previous 3 holidays, this one is very old.  It is on May 23 this year, the 33rd day of the Omer, which we begin counting on the second day of Passover.  What is so special about it?  It serves as a break in the semi-mourning period between Passover and Shavuot.  Many misfortunes and disasters in our history occurred during this period.  So, we have a kind of half holiday when there can be weddings, fun games for children, and when little boys may finally have their first haircut if they have turned 3 by this time! 
 
    All of these special days remind us of the hope we continually carry within us.  Click here for a cute rendition of Hatikvah  which you may enjoy.   L’hitra’ot, until next time!
     

April 2019

   As the youngest in the family, I enjoyed a few special privileges at our Passover seders, most notably, reciting the Four Questions and opening the door for Elijah.  When we open the door, we sing Eliyahu Hanavi and announce the coming of the Messiah with the prophet Elijah.  As an adult, I approach this moment differently.
 
 Each year we remind ourselves that Elijah is chosen for this task because he does not die.  We read in the Torah about the prophet’s ascent to heaven in a whirlwind and in a chariot.  If someone can miraculously reach heaven, would he really be foiled by a closed door?  Do we really need to open the door for Elijah to join us?
 
   In the Haftarah that we read just before Passover on Shabbat Hagadol, the prophet Malachi proclaims that in Messianic times “the hearts of parents will be turned to children, and the hearts of children to their parents.”  In other words, a Messianic Age is predicated on harmony within the family.
 
   So we open the door not only to make it possible for Elijah to enter, but to show that we are ready.  Passover is the quintessential family holiday.  Everyone gathers together and we sing, we pray, we eat, and we understand the powerful bonds that have kept us together throughout the generations.  When you (or your children) open the door this year, think of it as letting the prophet Elijah in to see that we are ready, and that we are worthy of his blessing.  Then sing out with full voice and heart!
 
   I invite you to join our BSJC Community Seder on Saturday, April 20 at 6 pm!  Be sure to RSVP to BethSamuelOffice@comcast.net.  Chag sameach!   

March 2019

Here we are, gearing up for Purim already, for the gantze megillah, the whole megillah!  The Hebrew word “megillah” means scroll, and although we think of the megillah as the Book of Esther on Purim, there are actually five scrolls, or megillot : The Book of Ruth, The Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Esther.  More on those other megillot another time.  Now is the time to concentrate on the Book of Esther.
 
    The word megillah, also in Yiddish (as it derives from the Hebrew), is anything very long, like a rigamarole, according to Leo Rosten in The Joys of Yiddish.  Rosten also writes that the Book of Esther is a long and detailed story, and the very devout would sit through this very long reading after a day of fasting, giving rise to the expression “the whole megillah.”  It can also mean anything complicated, possibly boring, and definitely overextended.  In Rosten’s pronunciation guide he says that “megillah rhymes with guerrilla,” and, in fact, back in the 1960's a popular children’s cartoon featured a character called Megillah Gorilla.
 
    So before this article turns into a megillah, let me remind you that we will be celebrating Purim at BSJC on Sunday, March 17, at 10:00am.  We will read the story, shake our noisemakers at the mention of you-know-who, our students will sing and participate, and there will be fun and food, and especially hamentashen!  Our reading and celebration will remind us of another Jewish triumph over those who would destroy us.  Judaism teaches us to remember what we have been through in order to ensure our future.  Come for “the whole megillah!”  Happy Purim!
 

 

February 2019

    It may be in the darkest days of winter that we most keenly feel the need to recharge our batteries spiritually, and there are many ways to accomplish this.  Acts of tzedakah or tikun olam, charity and repairing the world, are ways in which we continually rejuvenate ourselves.  In fact, we often get back more than we put in!  Attending a service is another way.  Some people are renewed by reading the stories in the Torah.  The sages reasoned that, just as our bodies need water to survive, our soul needs Torah to be refreshed spiritually, and that is why we read Torah several times each week.
 
Originally, Torah was read on Mondays and Thursdays, which were market days.  Public reading of Torah is a much more ancient tradition than is congregational prayer, and it was only natural that, with the evolution of congregational worship, Torah reading would be joined to the service and become an integral part of it.  It completed the circle, creating a dialogue.  In prayer, we can talk to God, and through Torah reading God talks to us.
 
We can read the liturgy in the prayer books, we can create our own prayers, we can simply listen for that still, small voice of God, and we can use music to provide the launching pad for communicating with our Creator.  Whatever may be your way of recharging your batteries, may you find light and inspiration through your connection with The Source of Life during these dark winter days. Remember, the Eternal Light, the Ner Tamid, is always on in our sanctuary and we are here for you.
 

L’hitra’ot, until next time!

January 2019

The fall Jewish holidays may seem only a memory now, but as I write this article, the last of these special days, Sukkot and Simchat Torah, just ended.  As I look back, I want to give special thanks to Evan Fuhrer for his amazing accompaniment of our new song, “A New Year,” which was so well received.  And his special knack of adding quiet music to our Yizkor service was equally appreciated.  We are blessed to have such talent in our midst.    
 
   This past Rosh Hashanah, since it was our New Year, I spoke about new year’s resolutions.  Some of you asked if I would share my thoughts in this venue, so I will give you a synopsis of my message here.  I made 6 suggestions:
 
1) Engage with people more than pixels.  This year, make a promise of presence – look into someone’s eyes when you communicate with them.  Pick up the phone instead of texting!
 
2) Take your soul seriously.  Don’t bombard it with negativity.  We are continually shaping our souls and we only have one of them, so let’s not  squander it with things undignified or unworthy of its majesty.
 
3) Increase your kindness.  The world stands on 3 things:  Torah, worship, and deeds of lovingkindness.  If you wish to feel kind, do something good.
 
4) Choose someone to forgive.  Start with the easiest one.  The more you forgive, the less the world can injure you.  Forgiveness is a soft shield for the soul.
 
5) In forgiving, include yourself.  I tell myself, perfectionist that I am, not to be so.  As somebody once said, have expectations but don’t enforce them with a hammer!
 
6) Observe the holiday that we have every week, Shabbat.  Slow down, unwind, and let’s hit the reset button to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.  Sometimes we get caught up in the minutiae of daily life and need to remind ourselves of the big picture.  Now we can re-examine and course correct, by listening to that “still, small voice” inside.
 
   The New Year is here and we have not yet wasted a single day of the future.  Here is our chance to live with purpose.  Will we achieve it every day?  Of course not.  The idea is not to succeed ALWAYS, but rather to grow.  May this be a year of hope and blessing for all. 
 
L’hitra’ot, until next time!